


Encouraging Rumors

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Series: Ignoct Week 2017 [7]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Established Relationship, Flustered Ignis Scientia, Ignis still loves him, Kissing, M/M, Noctis makes bad choices, Shocked Ignis Scientia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 05:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11685231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: Ignis worries about people talking about their secret relationship. Noctis decides to make it not-so-secret.By kissing Ignis in front of a crowd.A crowd of people which are probably reporters.Day Four for Ignoct Week! Prompt:Everyone finds out about Ignis and Noctis





	Encouraging Rumors

“You’re not paying attention!”

“I’m paying as much attention as I _can!_ ” Noctis yelled, swinging the sword as hard as he could. It would accomplish nothing, but–

Ignis batted it away. “You’re being too emotional!”

“I didn’t want to do this today anyway!”

Ignis lowered his sword. “You don’t always get to choose when you have to battle, Noctis. You must be prepared any time.”

“I don’t _care_ , this is the Citadel, not the real world!”

“This _is_ the real world.”

“I’m _tired_ of fighting!” Noct threw his blade aside. It went clattering, and Ignis’s eyes tracked its movement. “And you’re starting to sound like Gladio!”

“You have to be properly trained. I cannot be the one who remains soft on you purely because of–”

“This is not _soft!_ ” he retorted. “Who put you up to… who _said_ something? My dad? Was it him, because–”

“It was not.”

“Then why–”

“I cannot coddle you forever, Noct!”

“I don’t want to be coddled, damn it, I never asked for anyone to _coddle_ me! I don’t want special treatment! I don’t expect it! And I definitely don’t expect it from _you,_ so why are you being an ass about it?!”

That, at least, seemed to elicit a response. Ignis’s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword and he looked away. And immediately, Noctis felt guilty as hell. He and Iggy didn’t fight. Not really. And Iggy raised his voice even less, even if it was in just inflection and not volume.

Upsetting Iggy was worse than being upset himself. Shit. “… sorry, I–”

“No, you’re absolutely correct,” Ignis murmured. “I apologize as well. It’s…” He sighed, and it put Noct even further on edge when he didn’t look back at him for it. It felt like bad news. Why wouldn’t he look at him? “There have been… rumors.”

Noctis looked at him blankly. “Rumors?”

“About the… nature of our… relationship.”

He looked uncomfortable. He always did when they spoke of their relationship. Even after Noct had turned eighteen three months ago. He had nothing to be uncomfortable about, anyway! Neither of them had tried to go past kissing and even then, it wasn’t like they had been clamouring for sex when he had turned eighteen, either. It wasn’t like that. They mostly just… enjoyed each other’s company. Talked recipes. Work. Held hands. Went for drives. Ate disgusting fast food. Kissed. He had no reason to look so unhappy, except…

“Evidently, it seems I have been too… affectionate with you, and people have started to take note.”

“I don’t care if they know, Iggy.”

Uncomfortable turned to pained. “Therein lay the problem.”

“I don’t _care_ ,” Noctis repeated. “I love you. What they say isn’t important.”

“Yes, it is. You will be king–”

“– and I can be with who I want,” Noct interrupted.

They hadn’t told anyone. They’d been going over a year without telling anyone, and while Noctis laughed at the intrigue of clandestine meetings in the moonlight, Ignis never found them that funny. Keeping their relationship secret took a toll on both of them, but Ignis would always feel it more keenly, he supposed.

“You know as well as I that it’s not that simple,” Ignis murmured. “You are engaged to Lady Lunafreya.”

Save one person. Just one person, they had told.

“She _knows_ , Iggy.”

He had told her himself. She had been pleased. She had known for some time that he, well, liked guys. He’d awkwardly come out with it when he had realized it for himself because it hadn’t felt right to keep it from her. He loved Luna, really. Just… not in the way that their kingdoms decreed that he should.

“I’m aware, but that doesn’t make these secrets any easier. If this got out, I worry about…”

Noct raised his eyebrows. “About?” he prompted.

“… how this reflects on you.”

“This was _my_ choice. You didn’t force me into anything. Hell, I practically had to beg you to kiss me, you were being so careful not to… overstep your bounds, or whatever.” Tentative Ignis might have been adorable, back then, if only Noctis hadn’t been so nervous himself. There had been a lot of fumbling around, in their early days of friendship turning to _more_. He could still remember the butterflies. “Specs.” He reached for his hand. “C’mon, I love you. I chose you, alright? My decision. You chose me. We chose each other. _Our_ decision. I don’t care what they say. I _want_ them to know.” He stopped, struck with an idea Ignis would probably hate, and then tightened his hold on his hand. “Actually… c’mon.”

“Hold–” He managed to pull him a couple of steps before Ignis managed to put his blade down and continue after him. “Where are you going?”

“Just hang on.”

“Our… you’re still holding my hand.”

“We used to hold hands through the Citadel all the time before.” He jabbed the elevator button. “You didn’t mind then.”

“We were children, Noct. It was hardly inappropriate.”

He laughed slightly and leaned back against the wall. The elevator doors closed behind them. “We could get by with a lot more when we were kids.”

“Yes, so it seems. Where are we going?”

“Just to check something.” The other man was eyeing the lights as they lit up for each floor and Noctis grinned. And tried to ignore those butterflies swarming up against his stomach again.

“We’re hardly dressed!”

“I dunno. I think workout clothes and sweat’s a good look.” If he let his eyes linger on Ignis while he said it… he wasn’t _lying_. Ignis always looked nice after training. Whereas he just felt sweaty and limp, but that _wasn’t_ what Ignis was exuding. Pheromones and unassurance, and squeezing Noctis’s hand briefly as he looked at him. Noct might have leaned over and kissed him if the elevator doors hadn’t slid open then.

Gladio was slouched outside of it. “Oh, ‘sup. I was just coming to see if you were done training yet– hey. Where are you going?”

He didn’t stop, not right now. He tightened his hold on the hand in his and tugged Ignis past. “Later, Gladio!”

“Noctis, where _are_ we going?”

“Just a little bit, here–”

“Wait, that’s the conference–”

It _was_ the conference room, and Noct pushed the doors open to a roomful of surprised people and then spun around to grab Ignis’s shoulders and stretch to kiss him.

The noise Ignis made against his mouth seemed like equal parts despair and delight. Or maybe less delight and more despair, but he didn’t pull away. He _did_ kiss him back, although it was a little less intense than usual, a little more shy, and his hands stayed limp at his sides. Noct would one hundred percent get a verbal lashing for it, if not from the family than definitely from Ignis. Probably. But he _wanted_ their relationship out there. If not now, when? He was _always_ going to be royalty. He was always going to be the prince, or the king when his time came. There was no _right_ time.

He loved him. It wasn’t going to change. So announce it sooner rather than later.

He pulled him out of the room without saying anything else to the people no doubt staring at them. He didn’t care about their reactions. Well, except Gladio and Prompto standing out in the lobby, watching them too. Beaming and peering out from behind a camera and staring at them wide-eyed with a little smirk. At least those weren’t _bad_ reactions. Not that he would have expected them to be.

“Oh– _Noctis_ – why–” Ignis was spluttering.

“Maybe they won’t talk behind my back now.”

“They will most certainly talk behind our backs after that display!”

“Well, at least it won’t be a rumor anymore, huh?”

“Noctis…”

He shrugged. “There’s nothing wrong with it, Specs. Nothing wrong with us. I love you. I want them to know it. I want everyone to know it.”

Ignis looked back at him, red-faced and breathing sharply. And just stared at him for a moment, a long moment, before shoving his glasses up his nose. He stepped forward and bent down to kiss him, and he could consider Noctis shocked this time.

He kissed him back just as happily, though, relaxing into it a bit more now than the adrenaline was starting to trickle out of his veins. His hand brushed against his chest, settling against it to feel his breathing and his heartbeat, and he pressed into the kiss regardless of if anyone besides their two friends were watching or not.

“… I love you, too,” Ignis said softly, when he pulled away. And then he scrubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead when he stepped back, pushing his bangs out of his face. “But please, don’t ever do anything like that again.”

Noctis laughed, bumping his shoulder against him. “Yeah, it loses its shock value.”

“His Majesty will have my _head_ ,” he muttered.

“Not happening,” Noct replied. “Your face is kind of the prettiest thing about you.”

Still blushing more than Noctis had ever seen him, still embarrassed, but his eyebrows shot up. Just for a moment. “Oh?”

“Well, that and your–”

“ _Time_ and place, Highness. Please.”

“Right.” It was futile to try and _not_ laugh. “Advisor Scientia. I’ll take it into consideration.”

**Author's Note:**

> Noctis this is not the way to go about things plz you'll be the death of him


End file.
